Celebrate Foundation Day through philanthropy

The 22^nd October marks the 10^th anniversary of the foundation of the University of Manchester. To celebrate the historical generosity of graduates and the landmark year, the university will be having a series of projects and events.

UMIST and the Victoria University merged in 2004. Since then the university has gone from strength to strength, thanks in no small part to donations from around 9300 alumni.

These donations help fund the education of low-income students and those from developing countries, improve the student experience and contribute towards cutting-edge cancer research.

This year, students are offered the chance to continue the philanthropic legacy by taking part in the Purple Pig Challenge.

300 mini purple piggy banks will be available from a stall in University Place for students to take away, keep for six months, and fill with regular, small gifts. The suggested donation is £3.

In March 2015 the donations will be pooled and the total proceeds will go towards whichever cause the donors see to be necessary.

This could be in the form of scholarships, research funding for cancer, diabetes, or poverty, or another worthy cause related to the university.

As well as the Purple Pig Challenge, a stall in University Place will be offering information on how to expand horizons using the alumni network.

There will be free guides available on how to energise your network with the university’s LinkedIn platforms.

Esteemed author and activist Professor Jeanette Winterson will give the prestigious Foundation lecture, entitled ‘Manchester: from Gradgrind to Graphene’.

After this, honorary degrees will be awarded at a ceremony in Whitworth Hall to Winterson, Professor Dame Julia King, and Simon Weston OBE, known for his charitable work since the 1980s.